Education for Color - DiamondHouseAZ.com

The color of a diamond is another important factor when choosing a diamond that is right for your budget.  When mined from the ground in their rough form, diamonds can vary in practically every shade of the rainbow.  White diamonds are graded for various shades of white ranging from D to Z. 
 
 



D colored diamonds are the rarest and most sought after.  N – Z color diamonds are typically the least expensive.
 

Because each characteristic of a diamond (such as shape, carat weight, color, clarity and cut) plays a significant role in determining its value, one should weigh the importance of color as it relates to their budget.  If a diamond is to be set in yellow gold, choosing a D color diamond may not be in a consumer’s best interest.  Since the diamond will reflect off the yellow gold, it would make sense if a consumer would choose a near colorless diamond, such as I or J, and put the money they were going to spend on color toward another important characteristic such as carat weight, clarity or cut.  The same can be said if choosing a diamond that will be set in white gold or platinum.  In this case, it would be practical to pick a diamond that is D – H in color.  Most consumers do not want to see a yellowish tint in their diamond and, therefore, will usually sacrifice carat weight or cut over color.
 

Not all diamonds are graded using the D – Z color grade scale.  These diamonds would fall under the category of Fancy Colors.  Natural Colored Black diamonds and Natural Colored Brown diamonds, yet scarce, are reasonably inexpensive when comparing them to diamonds graded between D – M.  However, Natural Fancy Yellow diamonds can be even more expensive than D – F color diamonds depending on their intensity of yellow (such as fancy intense yellow or canary yellow).  Natural colored diamonds that are in the “red family” (any shade of red, such as pink) are the most rare and most expensive.  The more intense red the diamond, the more expensive the diamond is.    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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